An Unforgettable Day Out
by Harley Grace
Summary: It's the middle of summer, and Jack Overland spends the day out with his sister and parents at the beach. Stuff is bound to happen. One-shot. Human Jack.


_So, I got this idea while I was supposed to be thinking about schoolwork. But I hope you like it, and please **review**! :)_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Jack Frost. The sad truth many people do not like to face._

_I'm assuming that the Burgess RotG means is in South Carolina. I've seen people say that's in a different state. But if it's South Caroline, the ocean is to the east, though I don't know how far, so I apologize if this is geographically impossible. Also, I don't know whether the east ocean (Atlantic) around that area has dolphins and/or sharks, so I also apologize there as well if I got the facts wrong (which I bet I did) but no matter. This is just a story after all :)_

_Here, Jack's sister's name is Rosie. It just seems to be the most fitting for her, because she's adorable, and Rosie is an adorable name. ;) Enjoy! _

* * *

**An Unforgettable Day Out**

It was a rare thing for the Overland's to ever leave the little settlement known as Burgess. It was always considered to be improper to go anywhere beyond a five mile radius from the town, as people tended to get peevish. But the Overland's were known to be different, if somewhat eccentric.

Jack, the eldest of the two children, only fed the reputation they possessed through his careless behavior and constant need to have fun, all day, every season, all year.

But despite this, the villagers still respected the Overland's, and though they thought them to be somewhat unusual, they still had good opinions of them, as Mr. Overland was their village doctor and was regarded very highly.

So when they saw the Overland's walking through the village clearing with some belonging being town on a sleigh, they shouldn't have been surprised.

"Why, Sir Overland, where are you departing to on this fine summer's day?" The village woodcutter asked. "It is too hot to be leaving ones shady home."

"We are going to the beach." Mr. Overland replied ruffling his son's hair, who was practically ecstatic with energy and excitement. "It would do us all good to go bathing in this blistering weather."

"But there is the pond. Why burden yourself by going so far?" The woodcutter replied, perplexed.

"The pond is too small." Jack replied before his father could. "We want waves, sand, and sharks!"

"By the lord, sharks!" An elderly woman approached them. "You should not be taking your children out, Mr. Overland. Save us all from the anxiety that one of you should not return."

"It is only the beach, dear Mrs. Bennett. " Mrs. Overland reassured the elderly woman. "We shall be back before sundown, I assure you, with all our limbs intact and everyone accounted for."

Jack and Rosie played catch all the way, occasionally tripping over each other and tumbling through bushes, until their Father told them it was enough.

Even then though, it was hard to contain Jack, and he ended up running with Rosie clinging on to his back for dear life.

Rosie screamed, half terrified, half excited, as she was being throttled around by a laughing Jack.

After two hours, they'd finally made it to the sandy beach. It was midday, and unbearably hot.

Jack waited no longer, threw off his light cotton shirt, and ran straight into the raging ocean wearing only his brown faded pants.

"Jack! Wait for me!" Rosie yelled as she ran after him, only to be pulled back by her mother.

"One moment, young lady. You're still wearing your petticoat." She said pulling it off. "How are we ever going to make you into a suitable woman with a brother like yours to look up to?" She muttered under her breath.

She released Rosie from her hold to let her run after her brother, but Rosie turned to say "I believe that I will become one of the most fun and carefree women the village will ever see."

And with that, she spun on her heel, leaving Mrs. Overland to role her eyes and smile as she watched her children splash around in the salty water. "Don't go too deep! The water should only reach your knees!" She shouted out to them, before turning to lie next to her husband on the golden sand.

They weren't the only ones there; settlers from nearby towns were far, far out in the water fishing, or on the beach building all kinds of shapes from the sand. Some women were weaving nets together, or making necklaces from shells.

It was peaceful.

* * *

Out in the water, Jack was dragging Rosie by her arms further in. "Jack, no! Not past our knees, mother said."

"Oh, did she now? What do you think would happen if we went just a little further…?" To prove his point he waddled further in until the water was an inch or two past his knees.

"Jack! Stop it, come back!"

Jack was laughing. "Don't worry Rosie, I was just messing with you. Do you think-" His face became suddenly serious. "Do you think there might be any _sharks_? Circling around us. Right now."

"What?!" Rosie jumped up in the water, splashing it in all directions. Her brother's laugh only irritated her further. "Jackson Overland, that was not funny."

"You should have seen your face!" He said wiping away tears.

Suddenly, a wave crashed into them and they were both thrown off their feet.

Spluttering, Rosie found herself tumbling towards the shore once more. A hand full of sand came into her mouth as her face smacked right into the beach.

This would have been the moment where Jack would have been laughing uncontrollably, that is, after he checked Rosie was uninjured. Then she would tease him for being frightened about her getting hurt, he would deny it, and that's the way it went with them.

But this time, all Rosie heard was her parents calling out to her, and pulling her up by the arms.

"Oh, Rosie, are you alright?" Her mother asked while her father smoothed the sopping hair from her face.

"Huge wave." She muttered while spitting all the sand out, irritably trying to get it off her tongue. Suddenly, her head jerked up and she asked "Where's Jack?"

* * *

Jack saw his sister's eyes widen before he felt it; the crashing of a merciless wave slamming into him. He was thrown around underwater, and he tried to reach out to Rosie, to make sure she would have something to hold onto.

He was met with nothing but water rushing through his fingers, and to his despair, he felt himself loose his footing.

He was being dragged back with a new wave, instead of forward with the last one.

He desperately tried to reach the surface, to breathe in the salty air, but he did not know what was up, or what was down anymore. There was only blackness.

He panicked, not liking this feeling one bit. The feeling of being trapped, knowing there was an escape but not being able to find it. It was driving him insane.

He jerked away as he felt something brush against his bare feet. The skin of an animal.

_A shark_, was all Jack could think. And just like that, he was in full panic mode, thrashing through the water, not caring if it did absolutely no good. He felt the contact again, this time by his elbow.

He was going to die.

Suddenly, he felt air fill his lungs as his body was plunged out of the water. His vision was black at the edges, but gradually cleared the more air passed through his body, and into his bloodstream.

That's when he realized something was supporting him, holding him up. He heard a sound of high pitched clicking.

A dolphin. He was sitting on a dolphin. He could scarcely believe it.

He heard the calls of his family and the people that had been gathered on the beach, and saw them waving frantically at him to get a response, any response.

He laughed happily, and waved back, yelling that he was okay. He felt himself being jerked forward, and reflexively grabbed onto the fin jutting out from the dolphin. It rhythmically swam with the waves, dancing with it gracefully.

Jack watched in amusement as the faces of everyone onshore changed from relief to utter wonder. It was a sight to behold.

The dolphin jumped high, very high and Jack clung on, yelling out in delight as the light of the lowering sun rippled across the waves and reflected off the beads of water in his hair.

He finally reached the shore, and was surrounded by swarms of people, his family being the first to reach him. It turned out that they had asked the other settlers for help when they couldn't spot their son in the water. Water, which could be the playground of a child and change into the watery grave of a corpse in an instant.

"Don't ever do that again, you hear me?" His mother was sobbing. "You had us worried to death!" She pulled him into a crushing hug.

"Can't breathe…" He managed to gasp, and everyone laughed, while his mother reluctantly let go of him with an apologetic but joyful look on her face.

His father stood before him, his arms crossed. His expression was frightening. "If you ever scare us like that again, we'll never return to this beach Jackson. Do you understand?"

"Yes sir!" Jack saluted, and his father's face immediately softened. Jack was almost thrown down by something forcefully tumbling into him, and he felt small arms wrap around his waist.

"Mommy said, Jack, so you listen to mommy!" She was crying. "You should have listened to me Jack."

"I'm sorry." Jack said with his voice full of guilt. His eyes displayed the magnitude of his regret. "It won't happen again. I promise."

The clicking of the dolphin was heard, and Jack turned to see it playfully rolling around in the water. He approached it, afraid at first, and starting to carefully rub its nose. "Thank you," He said softly. "For saving my life."

Gaining some confidence, he neared it, until he was suddenly being nuzzled by it in his neck.

"Stop that!" He laughed as everyone laughed along with him. "It tickles!" The dolphin stayed for a while longer, giving turns to people riding it, mainly the children as the adults were somewhat reluctant.

It was time to go for the Overland's though, as it would soon be dark, and they still had a long walk ahead of them. At least the summer sun would spare them enough light, and the moon would be full that night to guide and watch over them.

Rosie and Jack waved as Sandy departed, the name which they'd both agreed on for their favorite dolphin.

"Don't ever leave me Jack." Rosie suddenly said as she lowered her hand and stared out at Sandy, who soon faded into the horizon.

"I won't." He said pulling her into a close embrace.

Jack died the following winter, saving the one thing he had vowed to protect since the beginning.

The villagers saw cruel irony in it; Mr. Overland saved many lived from illness, injuries, and disease, and they would forever be grateful and indebted to him.

But he could not save his one and only son.

The Overland's were still seen to be different though, despite the absence of Jack to cause more trouble and pranks. Many said that he never truly left, and claimed to have heard his laughter echo across the snowy trees of the forest.

Stories became legends, and legends became myths as time passed, and the small village of Burgess grew.

And though all believed Jack to be gone in his time, the moon had different intentions for Jack.

The world was just _beginning_ to understand its new Guardian.

* * *

_We get to see a suggestion as to why Jack might like dolphins so much! It's all connected in a way; the dream sand dolphin, its name even! This is supposed to be a one-shot, and I'd prefer to keep it that way. If anyone would like more, just let me know, and I'll start a separate story for more of that :) Don't forget to **review!** - Harley Grace xxx_


End file.
